Abstract
Background
The goal of the current cadaver study was to compare two low-profile constructs for olecranon osteotomy repair: an intramedullary screw and tension band and a new olecranon nail.
Methods
Ten cadaveric elbow pairs were harvested. One of each pair was then randomly assigned to be tested either with a 6.5-mm intramedullary screw and tension band or with the olecranon nail. Using a testing apparatus to simulate an early postoperative motion protocol, the repairs were cyclically loaded. The maximal osteotomy gap observed during loading was recorded. A paired t-test was used for statistical anaylsis.
Results
The mean peak gap for the osteotomies repaired with the nail was 0.31 mm versus 0.75 mm for the screw. This difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.158).
Conclusion
The data obtained demonstrate the olecranon nail performs favourably when compared with an intramedullary screw, with the added benefit of offering a low profile, intramedullary construct.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.